Starbucks not protecting staff

[MummytoCSJH]

I have a close friend who works for Starbucks and is very concerned about this. Starbucks staff themselves are not allowed to speak out on this as their social media policy has been updated to prevent them mentioning or commenting abojt it and have been told in internal communications that it will be 'handled' by their comms dept and the media. Starbucks are reopening many stores across the UK however they are not providing appropriate (or any!) PPE for their staff. They are telling workers they MUST wear some form of mask (fine) but they are not providing them, workers must source their own. Workers have been told if they cannot source one they should make one from fabric or they cannot come to work - which will put many low income workers in a very difficult place. These homemade masks are obviously not going to be effective and to say they are handling food and drink I think it's disgusting that they won't provide PPE. Ovviously the bigwigs care far more about profits than people. Is there anything anyone can do about this? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this out there or what to do next?

The thing is OP it really isn't unusual for people to provide small things to use at work, so spending a few pounds on a homemade mask isn't going to be considered that unusual. The NHS cant get hold of PPE in any volume so its probably far easier for staff to get a couple locally than waiting months for a H/O to source and distribute them. There are plenty of things to dislike Starbucks for and plenty of workplaces not treating their staff well, but this just isn't something to get worked up about.

and whilst we are on the subject (apologies for gruniard link):

www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/01/children-work-for-pittance-to-pick-coffee-beans-used-by-starbucks-and-nespresso

Why can’t your friend buy a mask op?
They aren’t expensive.
My son has worked continuously during the lockdown in an essential service and if he wants a mask he can buy one himself. He’s is capable of being responsible for himself.

You are being a bit of a drama llama here.

If they want PPE then they can buy them themselves. I suspect a lot of these people are too used to furlough and will do anything to stay on it

KFC is open and now my local Starbucks drive through!

Things are looking up?

Starbucks are reopening? Awesome.

Do you have a list of what stores are opening up yet? I could really do a takeaway coffee

Starbucks coffee is shite. And as a company, its morals are lacking. Hit them in the pocket, don't go there. Support your local, independent coffee shops.

You're being ridiculous, plenty of people have to buy small things to be able to work.

A pub I used to work in required a black shirt, I had to buy that. Deliveroo delivers have to buy their on bikes and deliveroo branded coats. I recently applied for a job where I have to have my own steel capped boots. And those boots are also for safety reason and are a damn site more expensive than a face covering you can get for a few quid off off eBay.

I don't like Starbucks for many reasons but this is not one of them. Your friend may be scared going to work but they need to suck it up. My friend is scared going to work everyday in an essential role where she can't wear a face mask because it will scare the people she works with. As pp have said many takeaways don't even make face mask mandatory so your friend is in a safer position than all of them. They just need to suck it up and buy a £5 mask. They will make that money back in the first hour of their first shift and then will have many more hours to make money in and be able to reuse the mask on future shifts too.

You might buy some of your own kit (I have to but some lot myself but it come under ‘tools of the trade’) but how offen would work turn around and tell you that there’s a new thing you need to buy?

Are proper masks easy enough to get a hold of - and not hideously expensive (I can see them for ££££ on Amazon with a long delivery time)? A homemade mask of fine for a little contact - but not if you are face to face with the general public for hours on end.

My DS is a ITU nurse and has ended up buying material and making her own scrubs.

I worked in the hospitality trade for many years and had to buy make up and shoes for the job.

I also have to buy clothes now that are "office wear".

Buying things to do your job is fairly normal. Talk to any teacher and they probably buy half the stuff their children are using.

@NickNacky it shouldn't be 'well they don't have a choice so they better get on with it' though should it? Not sure why you're so accepting of employers treating their employees like shit. I certainly have been 'getting on with it' just as much as you, in fact I've stayed at home as much as possible for over 8 weeks now as someone in my household is vulnerable.

The problem isn't that he can't buy a mask. He shouldn't HAVE to have one in order to work, and if he does, it should be provided. As for others also having to pay for PPE to enable them to work, well their employers are in the wrong too. I'm not saying Starbucks are the only company doing this or I'm only angry at them. It's not right for ANY of them to expect this. It's not the same as buying part of a uniform required for a specific job, which you knew prior to working there you'd have to have, given that they were never expected to wear one before. A crappy piece of fabric made by some random person on etsy is not the same as decent PPE.

@ihatethecold @Utterlydespairing again, it's not that they're choosing to wear PPE. It is mandatory or they will not be given hours.

Not sure Domina, I'm sure it's on their website. I have no objections to them opening so your goady comment affects me not in the slightest. I do have a problem with the rich sending the poor to work in an unsafe environment whilst they sit in their second homes with everything they could ever want.

@Jilted yeah, no. I don't buy that anyone has had to make their own scrubs. Make up, shoes and professional clothing (when you chose to work in an office with that policy) is not the same as PPE worn in order to prevent the spreading of an infectious disease.

Just because something is normalised doesn't make it right. Teachers shouldn't be buying things for children, the government funding should be providing it. Just like employers should be providing it for their employees in this case. It's not good enough to just say 'well that's the way it is' and let them get away with it.

Yes, it's mandatory, so what?

it's a fiver at the most.

Maybe not ideal they are not providing ,but you can buy homemade face masks quite cheap , so would just go and buy and couple then leave when economy is in a better position

Starbucks condone giving harmful hormone blockers to prepubescent children, so I boycott them anyway.

Also, their coffee tastes like fairy liquid.

I don't buy that anyone has had to make their own scrubs.

Of do fuck right off Mummy. My poor DSister has been through hell the last few weeks operating a ventilator, you know, trying to keep people alive.

They're relying on the public at the moment to make scrubs for them out of old bedding. And yes, she's definitely had to make sone of her own between her rather gruelling shifts.

If you don't believe me, perhaps you should read a bit more about what's happening in the NHS right now.

Starbucks condone giving harmful hormone blockers to prepubescent children, so I boycott them anyway. I did not know that Muck, that's another reason not to go there.

This is appalling, PPE should be provided for all staff and they should actively be putting in place every possible measure to make sure staff and customers stay as safe as they can.
Hopefully the newspapers will pick up on this thread and Starbucks will be shamed into doing the right thing.

I can't get worked up about it. And how is boycotting them meant to help the employees? You can buy cheap face masks or make them easily from an old piece of fabric. It's not ideal but there are much bigger issues to worry about.

Well I’ve gone back to work as a nurse (was retired). Had to buy 2 pairs of blue trousers (nhs provided 3 tunics) and buy a pair of flat black shoes - when I retired my old nursing shoes ran for the bins.

That’s life.

I had to buy a monitor, a desk, a chair, a mouse, a keyboard, a mouse mat and some HDMI cables so I can WFH as a key worker. Not ideal but as I said there are bigger issues. If all I had to buy was a couple of face masks I'd be bloody grateful.

'It's not the same as buying part of a uniform required for a specific job, which you knew prior to working there you'd have to have, given that they were never expected to wear one before.'

Uniforms and dress policies change all the time. This is exactly the same thing. And they're hardly asking them to buy something expensive, a face cover costs £5 not £30 or £100.

When a place I waitressed in changed their dress policy to no skirts for safety reasons (following an incident where one was caught on a chair and pulled it over, knocking a whole table over) I had to go out and buy jeans to wear to work as previously I only owned blue jeans and the 'uniform' from the start had been all black. A couple pairs of black jeans costs me way more than a fiver and I was working for minimum wage. Had I not bought them I would not have been able to continue working there - exactly the same thing!

You also say your issue is with that Starbucks is mandating something and then not providing it but in the same post go on to say how does a face cover provide the same level of protection as proper PPE? So which is it you have a problem with?

Starbucks mandating PPE despite not providing it? In which case it is normal in many jobs to require small pieces of equipment/uniform to be bought by the employee

Or Starbucks not providing medical grade PPE?
The same as every other takeaway, supermarket, and business continuing to operate outside the health industry during this pandemic

Both are irrelevant points and it really just seems like you're looking for something nag to moan about, but this shouldn't be it.

Face masks protect others not you.

Oh, come on, it’s just a mask. Everyone should be wearing a mask when on public transport. I wear a mask when going to the supermarket. There are thousands of online tutorials about how to make them from an old scarf or bandana. I think you are making too much of a big deal about this. They are hardly requiring full medical grade PPE.

I haven't seen any takeaway or shop staff in full ppe. However they shouldn't make people source and pay for their own masks, not least because their wage is not going to be great.